Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
I know I used the first half of that headline the last time Cory Lidle pitched, but Lidle did go out and throw six scoreless innings against the Red Sox in the final game of the massacre that day, so forgive me for going back to the well as the Yankees look to even their series with the Angels at one game a piece.
Save for the one time he took the mound with a stomach virus, Lidle has tossed three quality starts in his four Yankee appearances, considering the fact that he was acquired to fill a spot in the rotation that hadn't received a quality start since May 6, the Yankees can't have asked for much more. The curious footnote to that is that that one poor outing, though it did come while he was sick, also came against the Angels.
Ervin Santana takes the hill for the Angels. He last faced the Yankees in his season debut back on April 8 and held a very different team to one run on two hits and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. Since then, the 23-year-old Santana has developed a Chien-Ming Wang like home/road split, which is troubling for both Santana and the Yankees. In Anaheim this year, Santana is 7-2 with a 2.83 ERA a 1.08 WHIP and a .218 batting average against. He's also been mighty stingy with the long ball, allowing just five home runs in 89 innings at home (that's 0.51 per nine innings). In fact, Santana's had just one poor outing at home all year, that coming against the White Sox back on April 30 when he lasted seven innings, walked one, and struck out four, but also allowed five runs on eight hits.
I'll make a bold prediction: there's no way the Yankees will be able to win today without a contribution from Mariano Rivera.
And I'm more concerned about our starting pitching than our hitting. The offense is fine. It's starting pitching and defense I wonder about.
Damon CF
Rodriguez 3B
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Giambi 1B
Cano 2B
Williams DH
Cabrera LF
Fasano C
Chone Figgins CF
Maicer Izturis 3B
Orlando Cabrera SS
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Garret Anderson LF
Juan Rivera RF
Howie Kendrick 1B
Adam Kennedy 2B
Mike Napoli C
Bernie at DH? What can you do? Let's go Bernie!!!
Actually, last night it was the breaking ball that got him to 0-2, not the fastball.
It's not like we have brainless A-Rod bashers here. No one's demanding that we trade him for a bag of baseballs, or saying we should call him K-Rod because he has more strikeouts than Francisco Rodriguez does.
He's struggling, and we're discussing that. It's unreasonable to expect us not to.
Especially when many of those here log in because they can't watch the game. They want descriptions of what's going on. Are we supposed to lie and say he hit a homer when he struck out?
Lighten up
Yes he was. Mikey S. just bitches for the sake of bitching. He always has.
Oh boy. Come on Corey! We need you because we can't score runs against this club.
Man I hate Fox, why don't I get this game on tv.
That was a good at-bat for A-Rod to build on. Contact.
And Bernie got a hit off the righty...
Yay, Melky 3-2!
Seriously.
Stinnett's average with runners on: .344
Fasano's average with runners on: .217
85 Maybe if the mound was a few feet higher, and he had a tailwind behind him.
You really want to play these west coast teams more often? Ugh!
Set.
Match.
Fasano with RISP: .100
No way, No way the Yankees score enough to win this game.
And I think Mike Scioscia could outrun Sal and Giambi.
Whether we can keep them from scoring more is the question. :-P
I can't believe I am going to say this but hurry up Carl.
However, the Yankees should be able to score at least 6 runs off a guy with an ERA of 4.5, more that 7 or 8 off a guy with an ERA of 5.00+. It's that simple. Given the totality of the teams that those pitchers face, our lineup should best the pitcher's ERA by at least 2 runs on average, and we're not.
It's not the economy stupid, it's the offense!
But Pavano does look more inviting every day. I am really pulling for him to make a come back and stay healthy.
Ugh.
Ugh.
C'mon Rod!
That being said, the Yankees are at the end of a 20 game consecutive stretch so it shouldn't be surprising if the offensive is slowing out out of exhaustion.
That may be true for the Angels, but the Yankees should not have to win games 5-2, 3-2, 1-0.
It's about fucking time one of our pitchers grew some balls.
Not to mention that anyone who threatens Frank Robinson with physical harm should have his feet nailed to the dugout bench with railroad spikes! Mikey is a p-p-p-p-pussy to be sure.
Exactly! At least Guillen knows when things need to be taken care of. Scoscia was a bad overrated player and he is now a bad whining manager. I don't believe for one second that he had nothing to do wiht Donnely's cheating. I won't even throw out Mike's playing stats, because that's too embarassing even for him.
Man, Juan looks like a mutt throwing the ball from right.
I love Bruney. See the love he got in the dugout. Gator loves that, and Gator never hit anybody.
Damon keeps missing doubles. He's due.
Just play the Yankees retired numbers, and hope for the best.
KNOCK ON WOOD
Maple gives new meaning to the crack of the bat
http://tinyurl.com/ffz5m
pssssssssssssss
Just don't score anymore Yanks. Don't toy with my feelings, just lose and be done with it.
It just grazed his shoulder.
Though I am wondering if Bruney was just wild, not trying to get revenge. IIRC, the knock on him is that he has control problems.
I had him on my fantasy team while he was in Arizona. Take my word for it, unless Guidry can work some majic, Bruney just isn't that good. At least not yet.
Farnswacker and Mo or bust.
Posada guns 'em down! I love Posada.
The city, the fans, the noise sticks, the rally monkey, the I-5... please. I'd rather visit the Metrodome...
Man, is he fragile.
Because Joe doesn't see a pitching change coming a fucking mile away!
The Fox announcers say it's because Giambi's numbers against lefties aren't that great.
I find this rather strange.
And the Angels swap pitchers, and Guiel is now pinch hitting for Wilson.
Yeah but NO talk about how antiquated blackout rules prevent fans from seeing games! Oh please protect me from the harsh cold dangerous world! After all they call it pussyball not baseball! :-/
Thanks for the article, one more thing to be pissed at Selig about...
are they twins?
218 who's the better twin?
"I have a bad feeling about this"
"Darryl Strawberry: You're pinch-hitting for me?
Mr Burns: Yes, you see you're a left-hander and so is the pitcher. If I send up a right-handed batter it's called 'playing the percentages.' It's what smart managers do to win ballgames.
Darryl Strawberry: But I hit nine home runs today.
Mr Burns: You should be very proud of yourself. Sit down."
Is it me or does this seem like the back end of a day-night doubleheader already?
Someone pass me the Paxil.
But I gotta say, Johnny D's been doing some goofy things in the outfield lately.
I hate Cabrera and Anderson and Erstad and Rodriguez and all those guys. I hate that they always find ways to beat the Yankees in the most infuriating way possible.
I hate their name. I hate that singing cowboy that used to own them. I hate that Reggie Jackson wore their uniform. Hell, I hate that Bo Jackson wore their uniform.
I hate Tony Danza and Danny Glover and Christopher Lloyd and that cheesy kid for starring in a lame movie about them. I hate Disney. I hate Anaheim, Los Angelese, California, and Los Angeles of Anaheim.
I hate thundersticks. I hate their nickname. I hate their fat manager. I hate both of the Weaver brothers.
I hate Shawn being spelled 'Chone.' I hate Figgins and his 6 different gloves. I hate that he's called a sparkplug. I hate that Juan Rivera has 'arrived' as an Angel.
I hate the Angels.
Damon played that double into a triple.
After the Yanks got back in this one, heat and muscle were required to win it.
Can't do anything about losing Jason other than pray it is not serious.
Farnswacker should have come in.
Pretty much need good luck and a miracle at this point.
Vlad's a great hitter, but he dogged it out of the box. These sluggers these days. I'll never forget how Bruney made him bail. That was beautiful.
Juan's a mutt in right, too. F these effin Angels.
What good is Farnsworth. Keeping Myers in to face a righty speaks volumes of Farny's shortcomings.
And 6 outs away from a sweep. Oakland must be thrilled that we don't play Anaheim more often.
Game.
Set.
Match.
Heat and muscle, that's what it was coming down to before the timid looking Dotel came in. I understand why Joe wanted him to "get back on the bike" after he fell last night, but this was not the game for that. Heat and muscle were required, not the best situation for Octavio.
a few more:
I hate their announcers "the angels are just not afraid of the yankees". that's the most stupid statement in the history of broadcasting. No team can be afraid of another team.
I hate that they play like idiots v other teams (they could not score any runs v the blowsox) and like professionals v the yanks.
I hate that Vlad is sick good.
I hate that the only time I went to Yankee Stadium this year (I live in Mexico) the yanks lost v the angels.
I hate their stupid stadium with the fake rocks and the "special" effects.
I hate that they keep on churning young pitchers.
I hate that they have the ugliest players with stupid names (Vlad, Chone, Maicer, Howie, Lackey, Aybar, Willits)
I hate that they will sweep the yanks just to get that big fat smile we all had last Monday (seems like a month ago we swept the bosox 5-0)
Let me also add that I hate that they are going to sweep the Yankees. Yuck.
Johny "keep the faith" damon stat-padding there.
A-rod, just please get on base. I know you can do it.
Damon. You're just toying with me.
Unless the Bombers come back...
these stupid monkey-loving bastards have the yanks' number, big time
(OH SNAP!!!)
Relax, j/k...
K-Rod's toast!
That said — everyone get off his ass and have absolutely no expectation of any success on any level for the rest of the year. When he comes through, react as you would if Fasano just hit a walk off grand slam in the 17th inning. You'll be much saner for it. In case no one has noticed, the team has responded regardless of who is in or out of the lineup for a while now. We can carry a subpar A-Rod, too. We'll be OK...
???
Let me see, a walk, sac bunt, WP. How does that demonstrate (over)aggression?
No need to woory. He's not on third anymore.
This means, setting aside the five-game aberration in Boston, we are 7 for 17 since the Baltimore series at the beginning of the month. A .411 team.
I really don't understand it. We'd won something like 9 out of 11 series before that. Since then, we've won two out of six. Soon to be two out of seven. You'd think adding Abreu, Lidle, and Wilson would improve the team, but somehow, it hasn't. Perhaps we're too one-dimensional again.
And I think they are tired. Both Melky and Damon looked bad in the outfield today. I think they need some rest.
Maybe it will help when rosters expand.
But no . . .
The man was a terrible pitcher his whole career, but he "figured it out" and EVIL Joe Torre ruined him.
But it's too soon to throw the towel in. All teams have stretches like this, even the 96 and 98-2000 squads.
its not his fault.
anyway, i hope this team can get it together starting on Tuesday. They should just concede tomorrow's game, get on the flight back to NY and prepare the series v the Tigers. I expect them to be 3 to 4 games ahead in the division on Tuesday.
That's not bad, a week ago I would not have predicted they would be 3 or 4 ahead after the boston series and this road trip.
the real race for the east begins on Tuesday.
No way am I throwing in the towel. I just think there are things that need fixing. Starting pitching, defense, and the bench. The bullpen is okay, and the offense is fine.
RALLY TIME!!
K-Rod's toast!!
But today? Ugly, but there is not much you can do when every pitcher gives up runs.
anybody? anybody?
I thought so....
Great game for a while there.
I hate the angels' fans (get up, cheer, now you can sit down. get up, thundersticks, now sit down. get up, monkey, now sit down)
I hate K-rod and his fist pumping, screaming, mouth open act after getting 3 outs before the opposing team scores 5 runs.
I hate watching these games and not having the sense of turning off the TV.
I hate these road trips (I feel I have jet-lag).
I hate ...
p.s. I hate all things Los Angeles of Anaheim of Orange County South of Hawaiian Gardens and east of the 605 related.
Cano needed water while he was batting because he choked on sunflower seed.
If he comes back, and we win the east, kiss that series goodbye. It looks like Liriano will pitch again beginning mid to late Sep.
Liriano and Santana and Mauer Oh My!
I changed my mind. I think the wild card should be able to play a division rival in the ALDS, well, at least this year.
Of note, although the Sox are in a closer race, was that both managers went to their closers, although neither was lights out, they did the right thing. They didn't trot out Ron Villone, Brian Bruney and Octavio Dotel in close game.
Joe better sure as hell be expecting to use Farnsworth and Mo for multiple innings each if we make the post-season.
Betancourt, the one man wrecking crew, ties the game at Seattle 2-2.
I guess it is the game winners that give folks the impression that Ortiz is a better and more valuable hitter than Manny. Love him or hate him, he is one bad ass mother F-er at the plate, especially against good teams.
However, fuck me! Ortiz scored.
The umpire completely blew that call. He was most definitley out.
Beltre has a good looking swing. Hard not to root for him.
Man, if the Yanks came thru with a 5 game sweep just to make the Sox feel better when they come back from 6 1/2 down I may have to commit myself.
And I don't think Francona needs any help managing 382, he did just fine last weekend.
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Pavano Suffers Setback
ANAHEIM - Carl Pavano is running out of body parts to break down.
Following his rehab start for Columbus (Triple-A) Friday night, Pavano talked of a problem with an oblique muscle, and there is the possibility he will be shut down.
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http://tinyurl.com/pz6z8
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